Experimental and numerical study on the dynamic response of RC slabs under blast loading

• Blast experiments of RC slabs with different reinforcement ratio
• 3D numerical simulations of RC slabs subjected to blast loading
• Damage characteristics of RC slabs under blast
• Deflection thickness ratio inversely proportional to the reinforcement ratio
• Empirical expression on deflection thickness ratio of RC slab

Anti-blast performance and damage characteristics of reinforced concrete slab with different reinforcement ratios were analyzed in the present study through both blast experiments and numerical simulations. Three sets of slabs with different reinforcement ratios under 0.13 kg and 0.19 kg TNT explosive blast loading were conducted. The experimental and numerical results show that different damage features are observed in the different tests. On the one hand, the increase of explosive charge is shown to gradually change the damage degree of RC slab. The crack diameter and spallation area of larger mass explosive test is greater than that of small mass explosive test. On the other hand, with an increasing reinforcement ratio, the damage degree, deflection and the spall radius all decrease. The results indicate that the reinforcement ratio has great influence on the survivability of RC slabs when subjected to blast loading.Ten additional simulations with different reinforcement ratios and TNT masses were conducted. The results show the deflection thickness ratio of RC slab is inversely proportional to the scale distance and the reinforcement ratio. Based on the experimental and numerical results, an empirical expression on deflection thickness ratio was obtained which considered both the scale distance and the reinforcement ratio.